


Home Improvement

by Serafim3389



Series: Don't Forget [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 09:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2543117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serafim3389/pseuds/Serafim3389
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a day in the life of the Winchester family. Just a sweet little thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Improvement

Castiel woke up with an arm under him cradling his chest and another that snuggled his waist. If he moved to far away from Dean, he would fall off the couch. So he just laid there looking around their living room. They finally bought a house after being married for six years. They had to finish up some loose ends with heaven and hell before they could actually settle down. That was about 7 years ago though, but then came the trouble of money and things of the like. They lived in apartments for a while before Dean had opened an auto shop outside of some city and they decided to live in a quiet village a few minutes away.

Cas’ eyes drifted over the floor littered with toys that he was too tired to pick up, and books he was too lazy to return to the shelf. He heard a snore and felt his husband’s arms tighten around him and he snuggled back into him. He could tell by the way Dean moved that he wasn’t awake. If he woke up, Dean would lift his head to look over and see if Castiel was sleeping or not, and if he was, his angel would be woken up by soft neck kisses and sweet little messages behind his ears. He couldn’t have been happier. He married the only person he thought he could love and then they brought home their beautiful daughter Lizzy. She was just shy of four years old and was the light of Castiel’s life. They chose surrogacy and Dean chose for the biological father of the child to be Cas, but little Elizabeth acted just like Dean.

He heard the pad of little feet step into the room and onto the carpet. Cas smiled at his daughter, but raised a finger to his lips to signal that Daddy was still sleeping. She sat in front of the couch and waved, “Hi Daddy!” She whispered as loud as she could.

Castiel muffled a laugh and waved back at her, “Hello, Lizzy.” The curly haired toddler lost her smile and cocked her head with squinted eyes. If Dean were awake he would have laughed at just how uncanny the resemblance between her and her father was. “What’s wrong, honeybee?” 

“What’s that?” She reached a finger out and poked Castiel’s neck. Where her finger landed sent a dull pain to his brain to trigger a memory from the night before. Cas nearly choked on his breath when he   
remembered what the child was referring to.

He wasn’t sure what to tell her, he couldn’t exactly tell his toddler that her father loved to suck and bite on her father’s neck while Dean straddled Cas’ lap. “Well, my Lizzy, Daddy hasn’t been… well…” He smacked his husband’s thigh until he woke up, “If you don’t eat enough vegetables you will-”

“You’ll turn into a giraffe!” Dean said as he popped his head up to smile at his daughter.

Elizabeth smiled wide, “I like giraffes! I want to be a giraffe like Daddy!” She clapped her hands together and continued to grin with excitement.

“You can’t be a giraffe sweetie; cuz if you do that, then you can’t live with me and Daddy. You will have to go to the zoo!” Dean tried to sound sad as best he could.

The blue-eyed child got tears in her eyes upon hearing this tale. A tear fell before she jumped at her father, “No Daddy! Don’t go to the zoo!” She cried against Castiel’s chest and he hugged her tight.

“No honeybee, don’t worry. I won’t go anywhere.” He looked back at Dean with a fond smile. His husband smiled back and pressed a kiss to Castiel’s cheek. These funny little moments were what made every hunt, every apocalyptic event and losing his wings worth it. Neither of them would have it any other way. They looked into each other’s eyes and even though they weren’t angels or any supernatural being, they could see each other’s soul because they were so connected.

“Promise, Daddy?” Their little girl spoke up.

Cas looked down to her, “I promise, sweet girl.” He kissed her forehead. The thought crossed his mind of how their couch managed to hold the three of them lying down… Dean had reached an arm around and found his husband’s hand. He laced their fingers together and squeezed. The family just stayed on the couch for a bit. Cas had dozed off and Dean just let him sleep.  
Sure Dean worked hard at the shop, but Castiel’s job never ended. He stayed home with little Lizzy every day since they brought her home. He was constantly cleaning the house and teaching their daughter. His angel was the last one down and the first one up and never once did he ask his husband for help. Dean asked to help constantly and Cas would relinquish a few moments of his responsibility, but he never completely relaxed. “It’s alright Dean, you worked hard today. You go relax.” Dean would be at work while Castiel would be running their home. He knew Cas enjoyed every moment of their apple-pie life, and knew that Cas never meant harm by denying help, but it stung. Not in the sense that his husband didn’t want his help, but that Castiel believed that Dean should be relaxing at home instead of doing ‘extra work’ off the clock.

There were a few times when Cas got sick, he still didn’t stop. “Baby, lay down. Please.” Dean pleaded while Lizzy played in the living room.

“I’m alright, and Lizzy needs her bath and you just got home from work.” He smiled as if to mask his fatigue.

He turned to walk away, but Dean spun him back around and pulled him into a tight hug, “Please, Cas. I can take care of the house and Lizzy.” He bunched up Castiel’s shirt in his fists, “You do so much for us and now it’s time for us to take care of you.” He kissed Cas’ temple, “Go lay down, get better.” He never quite figured out why tears burned in his eyes, but they did.

Dean admired his husband’s sleeping face because he looked just as happy awake as he did asleep. He slowly and carefully raised himself from the couch and noticed his little girl had fallen asleep too. Once on his feet, he covered his favorite people with a blanket and made his way to the kitchen. He picked up his phone and dialed his brother’s number. He walked into the back room so he wouldn’t wake anyone up. “Yeah?” Sam answered.

“Sammy, I think we’re gonna go to the zoo today. Wanna come with us? Lizzy has been asking about you.” Dean didn’t have to go in to the shop that day, so even though painting the bedroom should get finished he decided he wanted to have some family time.

“Yeah, what time you thinking?”

“Why don’t we go after lunch? Cas is actually asleep, so I’m going to let him sleep for as long as he can.” He peeked into the living room to see that Castiel was alone on the couch and Lizzy was picking up her toys.

“Sure, I’ll be out there around one, is that cool?”

Dean smiled, “Yeah, Sammy. It’s cool.” He ended the call and just watched his daughter clean up, just like her father does. He watched her until she finished before calling her over. “Miss Lizzy,” he whispered and waved her over. He picked her up and hugged her tight, “Thank you for picking up your toys. And I’ll tell you what, if you’re good until Uncle Sam gets here, we can all go to the zoo after lunch.”

“The zoo?!” She exclaimed with a heart-melting smile.

He nodded, “But we gotta be quiet so Papa can sleep, okay sweet girl?” He ruffled the dark curls on his child’s head, “Alright, let’s get ready for the day.” He set her back down and she ran upstairs to her bedroom. Dean followed her and stood in the doorway while he watched her make the attempt of brushing her hair. She would run the brush through until she hit a knot and would move on to the next piece of hair. He laughed, “Hold on, Miss Lizzy.” He sat down on the bed with her and pulled her into his lap. He took the brush and began to brush through the knots as carefully as he could.

He was almost done when finally he heard it, “Ouch! Daddy, you don’t have to pull so hard!”

“I’m sorry, I’ll be careful.” He finished brushing her hair and set the brush down. He wrapped his arms around her and wrested his chin on her little head, “What do you want to wear today?” She wriggled free from her father’s grasp and ran to her dresser. She pulled out a bright yellow t-shirt and her green pajama bottoms, “You can wear the shirt, but those pants are for bed.” She then pulled out a pair of black shorts.

She smiled, “I can look like a honeybee!”

“Why yes you can, sweet girl.” He stood up and started for the door, “I’m going to start breakfast. Pancakes or waffles?”

She smiled wide, “Waffles!” She only chose waffles because she liked to say the word, he could even hear her say ‘waffles’ over and over as he walked down the hall. Dean passed through the living room quietly as to not wake his husband and into the kitchen where he in fact began making waffles. He was never one for cooking and baking, but since they got married Dean decided he would do something for Cas. Castiel would be happy eating peanut butter and jelly every day, but even the childhood favorite needed a break sometime.

At some point amidst the cooking, Cas had rolled off the couch and quietly walked into the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and just watched. It was easily one of his favorite things to do. He watched the love of his life move and breathe and just live. A sort of calmness washed over him, not that there was anything upsetting him, Cas just felt like there was nothing to ever really hurry for. Even though he wanted to stare at his husband longer, he knew he should speak up before he scared Dean when he turned around, “Good morning, Dean.”

He spun around with a spatula in his hand and when the initial spook disappeared, his face smoothed over into a warm smile, “Good morning, Cas.” He stopped what he was doing to wrap his arms around his angel’s waist and pull him close. He splayed his hands out over Cas’ back and took his time warming him up to the day. He felt arms sling around his neck and just relax. He kissed his husband’s neck and up his jaw. When Castiel moved his head to look at Dean, they rested their foreheads together, “Hi.”

“Hello,” Cas smiled as wide as his face would allow and pressed a soft kiss to Dean’s lips. Dean pulled his head back to look at Cas. There was an odd beauty about someone that had just woken up and his angel was no exception. Every morning he fell deeper in love with the man he woke up beside and always took his time taking him all in. His hair was a mess, his eyes were half-open and he just looked wonderful to Dean. His favorite part about his husband waking up was that he always wanted to be held close until he was ready to start the day.

Dean cupped Cas’ face and kissed him deeply. The sleepy man melted into Dean while his breath was taken by a kiss that left him with hundreds of butterflies beating their wings against his stomach. When Dean pulled back, Castiel stared into the dreamiest pair of green eyes he had ever witnessed. When he looked into those eyes, he knew just how much he was loved. He looked down to the freckles he loved so dearly and down to the lips that could either sear his own or warm his heart. He tilted his face to kiss the palms of his husband’s hands, the two things that let Castiel know he was always safe. He reached up to take them in his own. Their fingers tangled together in a web of affection and Cas pressed his head to Dean’s chest. He listened to the heartbeat on the other side and became lost in the sound of Dean’s breathing and the beats of his heart. They were the most natural and wonderful sounds to Castiel. He released the hands he held onto and hugged his husband tight.

Dean squeezed him and held on tight, “Is everything alright, Cas?” He rubbed his angel’s back and felt a nod against his chest. He kissed the head of messy hair and just held on to Cas. Sometimes he forgot that he needed extra love, warmth, and closeness to him. Sometimes his angel wasn’t tired because he needed sleep, but because he needed to be reminded of how beautiful he was and how much Dean loved him. He still rubbed circles on Castiel’s back, “Thank you, baby.” He whispered to him.

“For what?” Dean heard a soft voice ask.

He sighed because he just didn’t know where to start or how, “For everything. For saving me. You save my life every day. I don’t know what I’d do without you or our beautiful daughter.” Cas was looking at him now with listening eyes and slightly parted lips, “I’m not good at stuff like this, this mushy shit, but Cas, you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. You take care of this home and raise our daughter non-stop. I want you to know that even when you don’t feel so hot, you still make me weak in the knees when I look at you.” Dean reached a hand up and ran his thumb along Cas’ bottom lip, “And you’re lips, damn baby, your smile is my favorite thing to see.” He kissed his angel’s smiling lips.

“Oh, Dean.” Usually Castiel had something more to say, but this was all he could muster. It took Dean a moment to notice tears in the other’s eyes. He smiled with a quivering lip, “Oh, Dean.”

Dean pulled his husband into his arms tight and relished in the fact that this was where Castiel wanted to be. After a few minutes of them just holding each other, the delightful sound of feet came down the stairs. They broke apart to welcome their daughter into the kitchen with them. Cas noted the outfit she wore and let out a soft laugh. Little Lizzy had a bright smile when she spoke, “Daddy, I look like a honeybee!” She made buzzing noises and circled her fathers’ legs.

“Why yes you do, my dear.” He placed his hand on her head to stop her ‘flying’, “Let’s settle down, go sit at the table so we can eat breakfast.” Lizzy buzzed all the way to the table and sat at her spot. She excitedly said ‘waffles’ to herself a few times before sighing in wait.

The family had finished breakfast and everyone just ended up snuggling on the couch for a while, watching some cartoons. Dean and Lizzy laughed when appropriate, but Cas just built a list of questions in his head to ask Dean later. After lunch, there was a knock at the door and the sound of it opening, “Anyone home?” A familiar voice called out from the breeze-way. There was the sound of heavy feet headed toward the kitchen where the Winchester family was.

As soon as the footsteps stopped, there was an excited screech, “Uncle Sam!” Lizzy jumped from her chair to rush to her favorite uncle. He crouched down to meet her with open arms and a smile. Sam was so excited to have his own children, but he and his girlfriend weren’t trying to rush anything, but visiting his niece was just as good. He got to spoil her and do the fun stuff. He picked her up and she hugged him around the neck.

“Hey, sweetie!” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and blew some raspberries while she shrieked with laughter, “Excited for the zoo?”

When he finally stopped she nodded her head and hugged Sam again, “Yeah, but Papa might have to stay because he has a giraffe spot on his neck.” Cas looked up with shock and embarrassment and Dean only laughed.

“Giraffe spots, huh?” He looked to see Dean mouth ‘vegetables’, “Is Papa eating his vegetables?” He looked at Castiel and saw the patch of broken blood vessels and bruising and knew exactly what it was. His brother-in-law still looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock, “Well, Lizzie, I think that he will be alright.” The child in his arms smiled, “Alright, you go play for a bit and then we can go to the zoo.” He set her down and she ran off to god knows where. He went and sat at the table with Dean and Cas, and devised a plan for the day.

Much like her parents, the first time Sam met his niece he was wrapped around her finger. The two adored each other, ‘a more profound bond’ as Castiel would call it. He made a promise that he would always be there for her. He thought that sure she had her fathers to be there, but every child needs someone beyond their parents and he was determined to be that for her. He also hoped to have some kids of his own so she could have some cousins. As much as he would like to have lived a little further from his brother, being close to his family was still just as important as having space. He was happy, his family was happy and that’s all that mattered to Sam.

On top of that, instead of becoming a lawyer Sam decided to go to nursing school. One of the underlying reasons he kept hunting until everything was totally finished was because he was helping people in the long run and making a difference. Yeah, the hours were kind of shitty, but it was good money and he helped to save people’s lives. Everything was good.

After they all piled in to the impala- yep, Dean still had Baby, and yes Sam sat in the back seat- they went to the zoo. Each member of the Winchester family watched the animals, but in their own way. Sam admired the wolves and the animals that would normally live in the cold. Dean enjoyed the animals plastered in color and the ones that could kill someone in one swipe. Castiel adored the birds, he knew how much they loved taking flight, being weightless miles above the ground and with a tuck of each wing an arrow splitting through the air to pull up at the last moment. Lizzy simply loved them all! She did however, have a certain affinity to the penguins. She commented on how they got to swim in the ocean all the time and still had wings. No one had the heart to tell her that they didn’t fly, especially Cas. Dreaming as wide and wildly as she could was something that he would grant her, always.

Back at home, Dean had put Lizzy down for a nap, because they did spend hours walking around the zoo. In the kitchen, team free-will sat around the table drinking coffee talking about how life had been since they were last together. It had only been a few weeks, but in the Winchester family a lot could happen in a few weeks. At some point, they heard the pad of feet down the stairs and into the living room. They heard the dumping of the toy box that would certainly be fun picking up later.

“Do you guys mind if I bring Lizzy home with me?” Sam asked because his niece had wondered why she couldn’t go with her uncle. Castiel was always reluctant to say yes because what if she got sick or if she got hurt and he wasn’t there, but then his husband would remind him that Sam knew how to handle his niece.

This time, though, Cas was excited to allow it, “Of course, Sam. I’ll gather her an overnight bag.” He quickly went upstairs and returned a few minutes later with a bright green backpack and handed it to his daughter that made her way to the kitchen, “Thank you, Sam.” He smiled with gratitude.

“No problem, I don’t get to see Lizzy a whole lot and you guys need some time to yourselves. It’s a win-win kind of deal.” Sam shrugged his shoulders and put a hand on Lizzy’s head to stop her silent fidgeting. They were all thankful that she was such a calm-able child and especially her behaviour when she didn’t have her parents down the hall, but her uncle instead. The child really was a delight, she was sweet and calm, but she had quite the sense of humor and an outstanding level of sarcasm for her age. Dean liked to think that was his doing.

There was one time when the family was grocery shopping, they asked her if she liked strawberries. She looked at Dean with an unamused face, “I love ‘em.” Castiel insisted they buy them because Lizzy said she liked them, but through his laughter Dean explained how their daughter really felt.

Dean crouched down to give Lizzy a big hug and a kiss on top of her head. Then Cas picked her up and squeezed her, “You behave yourself with Uncle Sam, okay Miss Elizabeth?”

She nodded her head, “And you and Daddy be good too.” She kissed her father on the cheek, “Okay, put me down, please. Time to go.” And with that Sam and little Lizzy left for a night of all things that her parents would not normally let her do.

As they watched the car back out of their driveway, Dean leaned onto his husband’s shoulder with a sigh. Everything was perfect. Dean couldn’t fathom it. How each of them had come so far and actually greeted the end of it all with happiness and prosperity instead of the death they were sure of facing. The freckle-faced man felt an arm wrap around his waist and pull him close. He let his body form to his angel’s and he noticed his husband’s face. It was sad, contemplative and almost lost. Dean leaned his head up and placed a kiss on the side of Castiel’s chin, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“We can’t protect her forever. What do we do when she grows up and is on her own, Dean?” He turned to look at his husband. Dean looked back at him and found fear in his eyes.  
Dean pulled his angel into a tight embrace. It was a fear both of them shared, but this was the first time one of them voiced it. “We do exactly what we are doing now. We wait for her to come back home and tell us all about it.”


End file.
